September 16, 2015, www.regenerationinternational.org | “Ireland leads the way in developing a national strategy that allows for sustainable agricultural intensification while, at the same time, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, according to Aidan O’Driscoll, Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture. ‘Last October saw the EU make a landmark decision in adopting many of these principles,’ he said.”

August 31, 2015, www.offgridquest.com | “Hungary has taken a bold stand against biotech giant Monsanto and genetic modification by destroying 1000’s of acres of corn found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds, according to Hungary deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar. Unlike many European Union countries, Hungary is a nation where genetically modified (GM) seeds are banned. In a similar stance against GM ingredients, Peru has also passed a 10 year ban on GM foods.”

September 17, 2015, sustainablepulse.com | “In a joint statement Thursday by the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Ségolène Royal, and the Minister of Agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, it was announced that France has decided to ask the European Commission for a strong opt-out from growing genetically modified (GM) crops.

July 6, 2015, thefreethoughtproject.com | “In an amazing example of low-impact, high-yield farming, an underground urban farm has begun operation in London in old World War II tunnels beneath the city. The Growing Undergroundis the world’s first underground urban garden. It is an eco-friendly, sustainable farming business, which uses LED and hydroponics to produce a wide assortment of vegetables and herbs.”

June 16, 2015, sustainablepulse.com | “On the subject of GMOs Pope Francis states; ‘It is difficult to give an overall judgment on the development of genetically modified organisms (GMO), plant or animal, for medical purposes or in agriculture, since they can be very different and require different considerations. Although we do not have definitive evidence about the damage that transgenic cereals could cause to humans, and in some regions their use has produced economic growth that has helped solve some problems, there are significant problems that should not be minimized.”

June 14, 2015, www.ndtv.com | “French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal announced today a ban on the sale of popular weedkiller Roundup from garden centres, which the UN has warned may be carcinogenic. The active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, was in March classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the UN’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).”

June 13, 2015, www.sciencealert.com | “The seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree have been used to purify water and clean crockery since the days of ancient Egypt, but up until now scientists weren’t sure exactly how they worked. Thanks to a new paper published in the journal Langmuir by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, part of the mystery has now been solved.”

June 10, 2015, www.csmonitor.com | “A recently published meta-analysis of 44 scientific studies shows that organic farming is not only environmentally sustainable, but also financially competitive when compared to conventional farming. Organic sales grew 170 percent to US$63 billion from 2002 to 2011 worldwide, but the analysis’s authors note that organic agriculture currently occupies only 1 percent of global cropland. The good news is that there is room for organic agriculture to continue to spread, and the authors predict that profitability of organic farming will continue to outpace conventional models.”